Squire's voitures

[fried onions]

This afternoon I made a start on the Allegro's brakes, both conveniently on the off side. The trouble up front is the caliper seizing on during anything other than a local run. But today I concentrated on the rear. I am sorry to say I have been woefully neglecting the poor Aggy and it has been letting me know about it. A terrible noise when applying the brakes at low speeds signaled they were in dire need of adjustment. I managed to do the near side but the off side adjuster was seized solid and none of my brake adjuster spanners was a good fit, with consequent damage to the square adjuster head. I had a replacement Girling adjuster in the garage so removed the drum; this meant I could also inspect the linings.

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Then it was obvious the problem was entirely Chinese (probably). No wonder none of my spanners would fit. This unbranded adjuster was to blame, when I overhauled the brakes 7 years ago I fitted this new repro part, now it was giving trouble. It took an 11mm socket to remove the backplate nuts, snapping a stud in the process.

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Begone, ye foul shite.

I greased up the real deal Girling jobby, fitted that and expect no further trouble. Only problem was, that (can't remember where I picked it up from, probably an autojumble) didn't come with any nuts, so I had to hunt for 7/16" Unified thread nuts. I found one in the garage but spent over an hour searching amongst my junk for another. I ended up taking one off the old Allegro engine's heater tap blanking plate, which is robbing Peter to pay Paul. Must stock up on them, I must never overlook a tin of rusty nuts at a flea market again.

[Drum]

There's nothing like having to fix your own cars to make you have a bit of mechanical sympathy.

My Hymac managed to break a rocker in its BMC 4/98 engine. I wrecked that engine by not recognising that it shouldn't really be making oil*. It was diesel in the sump.

[fried onions]

Incidentally those linings are the ones that were already on the car when I got it over 20,000 miles ago, same with the brake pads. Only now are the pads coming up for replacement.

[fried onions]

There's nothing like having to fix your own cars to make you have a bit of mechanical sympathy.

My Hymac managed to break a rocker in its BMC 4/98 engine. I wrecked that engine by not recognising that it shouldn't really be making oil*. It was diesel in the sump.

We had a problem with a Ferguson tractor but that soon let us know it was kaputski.

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[Gilbert T Codwhacker]

Sterling work Squire
I say
Bapp of Brighouse stock Imperial nuts
Weardly on an Allegro the Mechanical parts are imperial and the body parts are metric

[fried onions]

Sterling work Squire
I say
Bapp of Brighouse stock Imperial nuts
Weardly on an Allegro the Mechanical parts are imperial and the body parts are metric

Thank you for clarifying, the fitting sizes have just been the subject of a healthy debate with Junkman.

[Drum]

Sterling work Squire
I say
Bapp of Brighouse stock Imperial nuts
Weardly on an Allegro the Mechanical parts are imperial and the body parts are metric

Thank you for clarifying, the fitting sizes have just been the subject of a healthy debate with Junkman.

Pass on my regards to JM. I hope he is avoiding the sniffles that's doing the rounds.

I will have to drag my allegro out of its slumbers. Its tax exempt this year.

[fried onions]

Certainly will do. He's fine, in rude health in fact. Look forward to your Allegro updates.

[mercrocker]

Apropos the mixed and illogical sizing on Legovers.....It has always struck me as strange that the UK market got the Italian musical term "Allegro" and the Eye-ties called theirs the very English name of "Regent".

All fucked up by the Chinese, anyway, as Squire points out....

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Careful setting the rear hub bearings on the Aggro - from memory there needs to be a touch of play as these had some issue with the stub axle breaking or something. It's been 35 years so I have forgotten.












Ben